IN YOUR OPINION

Letters to the Editor for Oct. 7, 2013

Published: Monday, October 7, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, October 4, 2013 at 11:28 p.m.

Corporate assault

I must respond to the letter “The pain of Obamacare” (Oct. 2).

In his letter, the writer tells us that his employer cut his hours from 40 to 45 hours per week back to 25 to 28 hours per week to “avoid having to provide health insurance to its employees.” He blames “Obamacare” for this situation.

I say that his anger is misdirected. It was his employer who cut his hours, not President Obama. It was his employer who was maximizing profits while hiding behind the Affordable Care Act.

Corporations in the United States are, and have been, sitting on obscene amounts of cash — cash that has been accumulated by cutting everything that affects their bottom line. Things like the letter writer's work hours and benefits.

Corporate America has decimated the American workforce for years, certainly long before the current president and the health care law came on the scene.

The ironic thing is that the more companies like the one the writer works for abuse their employees, the more the president's health care program is needed.

It can also be noted that the political party trying to kill this health care law is doing so because they know it will be good for the American public.

Having it work as it is designed to do will be political poison for that party.

If they actually believed it would not work, the smart thing for them would be to let it proceed and let it fail. But they know this is not going to be the case, so they are desperately trying to delay it, kill it or do everything in their power to obstruct it.

I can only hope that people quit drinking the “tea.”

J.E. Russell

Ocala

Saluting Musho

Recently in the Star-Banner, I read in one of the Letters about the drive called “Just a Buck.”

This fund will assist in raising money for Marion County Senior Services meal time program. It allows seniors to gather to share food and fellowship. It stated that $78,000 has been cut from this program due to the sequestration.

One 86-year-old resident from Marion Oaks has championed the cause to raise funds and, so far, through letter writing and public speaking has raised $31,000 for the mealtime program.

She has accomplished this solo task and reminded us all to give a buck.

I am so moved by this noble lady's task, and I publicly thank her for what she has accomplished.

On the same day, I read in Emory Schley's column this statement: “Excellence of any type deserves favorable mention.”

That sums up why I have penned this letter. I honor your excellence Mildred Musho.

Your dedication and drive are admirable.

Thank you.

Mary Ann Mellema

Ocala

Budget busting

We are glad to see that Sheriff Chris Blair agrees with our county commissioners on running the Sheriff's Office on $74 million and not raising our taxes.

I was sheriff of a town and county larger than Ocala/Marion and I never had anywhere near a $74 million budget.

We would like to see Blair's budget published in the Star-Banner for all us taxpayers to see what we are paying for.

We have talked with Blair and several who are connected to him and all live in much better homes, have better cars, better health insurance, etc., than most of the rest of us. But Blair, who built his name on the ruins of another man's fame, cannot be trusted.

Maybe he should collect some of the money that flows through the courts daily.

We see a big waste in Marion County and Florida.

Let's see the sheriff's budget in our Star-Banner.

Richard Spohn

Ocala

Above it all

National parks and monuments, low-traffic air control towers and all nonessential personnel have been closed or furloughed due to the government shutdown.”

The elected officials (all of them!) who brought on this mess will, of course, not see their salaries dwindle by as much as a single penny. Nor will their travel allotments be impacted.

Also, they will continue what seems to be a never-ending campaign in the next election cycle.

There is a way to ensure this doesn't happen again: Link the benefits of these childish buffoons to the continued operation of the federal government.

And I mean every aspect of their jobs that we, as taxpayers, underwrite.

No salaries, no government-sponsored air travel, no overseas “goodwill” missions.

I'd even support the shutoff of the taxpayer-provided electricity in the White House.

Of course, the politicians are perfectly free to pay for these things themselves until such a time as they can stop quibbling and get back to doing the business they were elected to do, but I suspect our current troubles would be very short-lived if these suggestions were in place.

I urge you all to contact your congressman or congresswoman and ask him or her to support such a change to his or her own pay system.

I wonder how hard they will stifle their laughter at the suggestion that they share in the problems they have brought upon the rest of us.

Phillip D Breske

Ocala

So what?

The U.S. government has shut down.

So?

We should worry if we can't get into the Statue of Liberty? Or walk around Yosemite? Or because a laid off census worker tells her 5-year-old in a shopping mall that she can't have that toy today?

<p><b>Corporate assault</b></p><p>I must respond to the letter “The pain of Obamacare” (Oct. 2). </p><p>In his letter, the writer tells us that his employer cut his hours from 40 to 45 hours per week back to 25 to 28 hours per week to “avoid having to provide health insurance to its employees.” He blames “Obamacare” for this situation.</p><p>I say that his anger is misdirected. It was his employer who cut his hours, not President Obama. It was his employer who was maximizing profits while hiding behind the Affordable Care Act.</p><p>Corporations in the United States are, and have been, sitting on obscene amounts of cash — cash that has been accumulated by cutting everything that affects their bottom line. Things like the letter writer's work hours and benefits. </p><p>Corporate America has decimated the American workforce for years, certainly long before the current president and the health care law came on the scene.</p><p>The ironic thing is that the more companies like the one the writer works for abuse their employees, the more the president's health care program is needed.</p><p>It can also be noted that the political party trying to kill this health care law is doing so because they know it will be good for the American public. </p><p>Having it work as it is designed to do will be political poison for that party. </p><p>If they actually believed it would not work, the smart thing for them would be to let it proceed and let it fail. But they know this is not going to be the case, so they are desperately trying to delay it, kill it or do everything in their power to obstruct it.</p><p>I can only hope that people quit drinking the “tea.” </p><p><i>J.E. Russell</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Saluting Musho</b></p><p>Recently in the Star-Banner, I read in one of the Letters about the drive called “Just a Buck.” </p><p>This fund will assist in raising money for Marion County Senior Services meal time program. It allows seniors to gather to share food and fellowship. It stated that $78,000 has been cut from this program due to the sequestration.</p><p>One 86-year-old resident from Marion Oaks has championed the cause to raise funds and, so far, through letter writing and public speaking has raised $31,000 for the mealtime program. </p><p>She has accomplished this solo task and reminded us all to give a buck. </p><p>I am so moved by this noble lady's task, and I publicly thank her for what she has accomplished.</p><p>On the same day, I read in Emory Schley's column this statement: “Excellence of any type deserves favorable mention.” </p><p>That sums up why I have penned this letter. I honor your excellence Mildred Musho. </p><p>Your dedication and drive are admirable.</p><p><i>Thank you.</p><p>Mary Ann Mellema</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Budget busting</b></p><p>We are glad to see that Sheriff Chris Blair agrees with our county commissioners on running the Sheriff's Office on $74 million and not raising our taxes. </p><p>I was sheriff of a town and county larger than Ocala/Marion and I never had anywhere near a $74 million budget. </p><p>We would like to see Blair's budget published in the Star-Banner for all us taxpayers to see what we are paying for. </p><p>We have talked with Blair and several who are connected to him and all live in much better homes, have better cars, better health insurance, etc., than most of the rest of us. But Blair, who built his name on the ruins of another man's fame, cannot be trusted.</p><p>Maybe he should collect some of the money that flows through the courts daily. </p><p>We see a big waste in Marion County and Florida.</p><p>Let's see the sheriff's budget in our Star-Banner. </p><p><i>Richard Spohn </p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Above it all</b></p><p>National parks and monuments, low-traffic air control towers and all nonessential personnel have been closed or furloughed due to the government shutdown.”</p><p>The elected officials (all of them!) who brought on this mess will, of course, not see their salaries dwindle by as much as a single penny. Nor will their travel allotments be impacted. </p><p>Also, they will continue what seems to be a never-ending campaign in the next election cycle.</p><p>There is a way to ensure this doesn't happen again: Link the benefits of these childish buffoons to the continued operation of the federal government. </p><p>And I mean every aspect of their jobs that we, as taxpayers, underwrite. </p><p>No salaries, no government-sponsored air travel, no overseas “goodwill” missions. </p><p>I'd even support the shutoff of the taxpayer-provided electricity in the White House.</p><p>Of course, the politicians are perfectly free to pay for these things themselves until such a time as they can stop quibbling and get back to doing the business they were elected to do, but I suspect our current troubles would be very short-lived if these suggestions were in place.</p><p>I urge you all to contact your congressman or congresswoman and ask him or her to support such a change to his or her own pay system. </p><p>I wonder how hard they will stifle their laughter at the suggestion that they share in the problems they have brought upon the rest of us.</p><p><i>Phillip D Breske</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>So what?</b></p><p>The U.S. government has shut down. </p><p>So? </p><p>We should worry if we can't get into the Statue of Liberty? Or walk around Yosemite? Or because a laid off census worker tells her 5-year-old in a shopping mall that she can't have that toy today? </p><p>How terribly, terribly awful!</p><p><i>Lee Endicott</p><p>Ocala</i></p>